Another Time, Another Place
by AnnaSaki
Summary: Knowing he's about to lose, Caleb transports Buffy to a different timeline. Buffy/Steve pairing. Set around the time of End of Days (BtVS), and right before The Avengers (2012) started. I won't veer too off course, although I'm not promising anything either. (evil laugh)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I just like playing in other people's backyards. Hats off to Joss Whedon and Marvel for creating amazing characters.  
A/N: This first part includes snippets from Empty Places up to End of Days in Buffyverse. Next chapter, we'll have Buffy in the MCU, but for now, sit tight.  
BtVS goes AU, but I'll try to be true to the MCU. Please, if any character isn't true to form, tell me.  
Pairings: Steve/Buffy for now.

* * *

ONE.

Buffy held her head high, "I know I'm right about this. I just need a little – I can't stay here and watch her lead you into some disaster."

Dawn stood slowly, then walked up to Buffy, "Then you can't stay here. Buffy, I love you, but you were right. We have to be together on this. You can't be a part of it. So I need you to leave. I'm sorry, but this is my house, too."

Buffy felt like her entire body turned to lead. She walked woodenly to the front door and stepped outside. Faintly, she heard one of the girls say, "Ding dong, the witch is dead."

She heard the door open and close behind her. Faith followed her outside, concern filled her voice, "Hey, look. I swear I didn't want it to go this way..."

Buffy held up a hand. "Don't." She paused by the porch steps. "Don't be afraid to lead them." Her tears fell uncontrollably down her pale face. "Whether you wanted it or not, their lives are yours. It's only gonna get harder. Protect them. But lead them."

* * *

(In a stranger's house)

"I've seen your kindness and your strength. I've seen the best and the worst of you. And I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are. You're a hell of a woman. You're the one, Buffy."

Buffy allowed his words to wash over her like a balm to her overwrought nerves. She looked at him in the eye and sighed, "I don't wanna be the one."

Spike joked, "I don't wanna be this good-looking and athletic. We all have crosses to bear."

* * *

(In the Vineyard)

Buffy stared at the shiny axe embedded in the rock. She walked up to it in awed silence, mesmerized by the power she could feel from its core.

Caleb pulled open the hatch and walked down the stairs, his mocking tone echoed through the walls, "So, you found it. Not impressed. 'Cause the question now, girly girl, is can you pry it from solid rock before I come over there ..."

Buffy grabbed the handle in one smooth motion then pulled the scythe out of the stone one-handed with ease. She looked at him expectantly.

"Hmmm. Darn." Caleb sounded deflated. He exhaled, "I guess it's on to plan B."

"Don't even think about it." The First/Buffy warned. "Caleb, don't!"

He walked cautiously towards the blonde, "Now, before you go hurting yourself with that thing, why don't you do yourself a courtesy and hand it over now?"

Buffy cocked her head to the side, "Yeah? You want it?" She tauntingly held the scythe to him.

"You don't even know what you got there."

"I know you're backing away." Buffy grinned.

Caleb narrowed his eyes, "You think wielding some two-sided doo-dad's gonna make a difference?" His arms lifted, his hands started to sketch figures in the air, his voice low as he muttered in what sounded like latin.

" _Suscipe spiritum meum et vocavi te in malo , et auertere a me._ " Caleb's eyes turned entirely black, " _Omnis verto masvenit pro redintegro pro elista_."

The First/Buffy screamed, "Caleb! Stop it! You're ruining everything!"

A glowing red triangle surrounded Buffy, her limbs frozen. She was trapped. She clutched at the scythe she was held in her uninjured hand. Her eyes widened in sudden fear as she looked up and found she couldn't speak. She realized too late that this was what Caleb wanted all along. _Spike! Help!_

As if by some miracle, the bleached blonde vampire jumped from the open hatch, his eyes widened in fear as Caleb finished his spell. "Buffy!"

"Goodbye, Slayer." Caleb smirked. The red triangle glowed hotter and brighter as it consumed her. There was a piercing pain on her side then... nothing.

Buffy was gone.

Spike froze, unbelieving, "What the fuck did you do to her? WHERE IS SHE?!"

"Somewhere she won't be a nuisance, I hope." Caleb laughed. "May the bitch rest in peace."

Spike, in a burst of white hot rage, grabbed Caleb's neck and started pounding his face with powerful punches. Then he was able to immobilize the priest and drained him dry. He didn't stop until he consumed every single drop, the beast inside him lifted its head and roared in pain.

He tossed the empty shell of a man aside, his eyes glowing yellow at the First/Buffy. She huffed, irritated, "Now you've done it!"

Spike wiped his mouth, his chest heaved as he realized what he had done. A sudden sound from behind made him turn quickly.

Angel was standing at the doorway.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own anything. Joss and Marvel do.

A/N: My muse sure is prancing and preening more than usual today. I haven't felt this inspired since... well, that song, "For the First Time in Forever" comes to mind. Gah. I gotta stop watching Frozen. I blame it on my nephews. And Niece. And my dog. And cat. (Joey, stop licking your balls!)

Go on. Read. I command you.

* * *

TWO.

Pain. That was the first thing that greeted her as she came to.

 _Ow. Thanks a lot, Caleb. Douche bag._

Buffy took a deep breath, then wished she hadn't. It felt like the entire area she was lying on was coated with urine and other sticky stuff she didn't dare name. She opened her eyes blearily, her vision blurred as she tried to figure where Caleb sent her to.

 _God, I hope it's not some weird demon dimension. But really, who would be surprised?_ Buffy thought, irritated. She shook her head in an effort to clear it. Nope, she wasn't going there. No pity party for the Buffster. _Great, now I have Xander voice in my head._

Slowly, she sat up, noted how her arm felt fractured and her ribs hurt like hell everytime she breathed. This was not of the good. Her eyes caught a flash of silver, her scythe was just within her reach.

With a heavy sigh, she grabbed the weapon and used it as a makeshift cane so she could stand. She couldn't very well walk out and be seen holding this, and with her bloodied and battered appearance? No, that wasn't suspicious at all. No sir.

A quick rummage through the dumpster garnered her several banana peels, a single sock and a beat-up old backpack, one big enough to hide her scythe. _Well,_ _I'm off to a great start_.

Loud raucous laughter could be heard from the end of the alley. It looked like a busy street; she kept her head down and tried to blend in. She almost laughed out loud the moment she stepped out of the alley and saw normal _human_ people on the street. _God, my life is so messed up._

She tried to walk casually, slinging the bag on her good shoulder. How _did_ she break her arm and her ribs cracked? Buffy wondered. She couldn't remember having fought Caleb. _Must be that transdimentional travelling I did. Hurts like a bitch._

She was trembling from the increasing pain; every movement gave permission to the little green leprechauns in her head to start drilling. Slayer healing or not, she was afraid she just might pass out on the street.

A few feet from where she paused, a glowing signboard that said "CLINIC" became her beacon of hope. _Oh, thank god!_

She limped her way towards the brightly light clinic, hoped to high heaven they were allowed to treat a penniless homeless person. A cool rush of air greeted her, instantly soothed her nerves. She went straight towards the nurse' desk, and was in turn given a form to fill out.

"Fill this out quickly." The no-nonsense nurse instructed briskly, her sharp gaze observed how Buffy limped towards a chair and stared at the form she was given.

 _Medical insurance? Uh-oh. How much is this gonna cost?_ Buffy bit her lip in worry. It wasn't like she was prepared to be thrown into a portal. With her good hand, she gingerly patted down her jeans pockets. She whispered a prayer, to whoever might be listening out there, that she might find something. Anything.

Her hand felt something on her left jacket pocket. Something thick. Because her left side was practically numbed with pain, she hadn't realized anything was there. It was zipped up tight. She slowly pulled the zipper open and fished it out. She knew what it was even before her brain realized what she held in her trembling hands.

It was a thick wad of bills, a quick check told her she had about 10 grand. She found a written note taped to it. It was from Spike.

* * *

 _XxXxXxXx_

 _Buffy, I know you plan on leaving after tonight. I'm not going to stop you. Just so you know, I'm coming with you. End of story._

 _I've told you before, I've been alive a bit longer than you, and dead a lot longer than that. I have never felt as strongly for you as I did last night. To watch you sleep and just hold you, I realized you might even come to love me someday. I'll be whatever you need me to be, and I'll follow you to the ends of the earth if you want me to._

 _Just in case I don't make it to the next dawn, I left the last of my poker winnings with you. Better they stay with you than be dust, I suppose. Use it, it's yours now._

 _P.S. Andrew might still be bloody well pissed about that, so best not mention this to him._

 _XxXxXxXx_

* * *

A tear rolled down her cheek, its salty taste brought her back to the present. "Oh, Spike. You idiot." She chuckled, his gift clutched to her heart. She never understood how a master vampire could be devoted to her like that, soul or not. She felt her heart squeeze at the thought of leaving him behind to face Caleb. He was probably already dead.

"Miss?" The nurse prompted.

"Oh, right! Here." Buffy limped back to the nurse' table and handed her the completed form.

"No insurance?"

"No, I'll just pay in cash." Buffy shook her head.

"Alright." She gestured towards a seat. "Wait here."

Buffy noticed most of the people watched the news from the TV mounted on the far wall. She stared at the images flashing on the screen; her brain was too tired to comprehend anything other than the need for food and a warm bed. She did a double take when she saw the weather report, the date and place flashing on the screen. "Oh shit. New York? I'm in New York? What the hell?!"

She grabbed a local newspaper off the stand, did a quick scan of its contents. She was in Brooklyn. New York City. It was the same date, roughly the same time, given the time difference. But she's in the wrong side of the country.

 _Oooh, the leprechauns were back._ Her head felt like it was in a vise. There was no use worrying about questions she had no answers to. _Better focus on something you can control. Heal first._

"Carl, please take Miss Summers to Dr. Carter in room 104." Another nurse with a wheelchair approached her.

Buffy sat on the wheelchair, relieved she didn't have to endure another minute of walking. She winced as she tried touching her ribs, confirming that they really might be broken.

"Miss Summers. How are you this evening?" Dr. Carter gave her his winsome smile. He noted she clutched at her side and took shallow breaths.

"Peachy, Doc. Can you patch me up?" She tried to smile despite the pain. "I think I've broken my arm and a couple of my ribs. No biggie."

Dr. Carter patted her other arm reassuringly. "Let's go get some x-rays then I'll see what we can do to fix you right up. Sit tight."

He calmed her somewhat with his friendly manner. He was efficient and worked quickly to lessen the pain she was under. He chatted while he worked; tried to distract her while he wrapped her arm in a tight cast. He said it was already healing nicely, and they could take the cast out in a few days. He also wrapped her ribs and advised her to use ice packs on it to ease the pain. He gave her a prescription for pain relief, which she dutifully bought from the in-house pharmacy.

He even escorted her to the door, slight worry on his face when he realized she was all alone. "Will you be alright, Miss Summers? I could call you a cab if you'd like."

Slayer healing was starting to kick in, she already found she could walk just fine. "Nah, I'll be okay, doc. Thanks for everything." Buffy smiled gratefully. She adjusted her backpack, assured herself that her scythe is still secured.

Dr. Carter nodded, "Just remember to come back in three days. We have to check that arm."

She gave him a salute, "Will do, doc. See you."

Faced with the crowded street, Buffy started walking in search of a place to stay. She purposely blanked her mind, kept her focus on her mental checklist.

 _Okay. First things first. Food, bed, then phone._

A small hole-in-the-wall hotel which boasted a sign that said "$30/night, A Winsington Motel Anniversary Promo" caught her eye. It looked safe enough, even had its own geriatric bellhop. Seriously, the old guy needed to sleep more than she did.

The hotel lobby smelled of lavender and sage, surprisingly pleasant and relaxing. _Boy, I sure won't complain about their ambience. This smells so good._ Buffy walked straight to the receptionist and paid for a two-night stay. They didn't bother asking for ID since she paid in cash. She realized she might need to work on creating a new identity later. First up, answers.

Her room looked clean. Well, it smelled clean and minty fresh. _Good, no stains on the bed spread. I'm definitely not gonna complain._ Buffy thought wryly. It had a nice bathroom, small TV... and a safe. It was big enough to fit in the scythe, she noted in relief. She quickly locked the door and headed for the phone, being extra careful not to crush it in her haste.

First number she called was her old home. She drummed her fingers on the table as she waited for it to connect. It never did.

After the fifth try, she gave up. Next, she tried Xander's number, but to no avail. Her luck bombed when she also tried to call Willow's cell. _What the hell is happening here..._

She needed to research. She had enough cash to buy a laptop, and there was free wi-fi at the hotel lobby. She locked her scythe inside the security box, then grabbed the hotel keys and stepped out. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep a wink if she didn't get any kind of answer to her situation tonight.

The receptionist pointed her to the direction of the nearest computer store. Luckily enough, it was still open. When she reached the aisle where the laptops were located, she felt like having a panic attack. _Maybe I should just close my eyes and pick one?_ She stared blankly at the long rows of computer tech.

She saw a box that easily resembled the one that Willow purchased for Dawn months ago. It was small and had the familiar logo of an apple. _Oooh, it's on sale too. Score one for the Slayer._

She was itching to go back to the hotel and get online. She hurriedly paid the nice man at the cash register, but still suffered through the quality inspection by the resident store geek. She bought a couple of hotdogs for dinner, before she finally made it back to her hotel. It was already nearing 9 pm.

She waved at the smiling old bellhop, George, and then settled on an overstuffed chair by the corner. She heaved a deep breath and dived in. She remembered enough to use Google, and searched for any news about Sunnydale. Any news, really, that would provide a link to her dimension.

Apparently, Sunnydale did exist. It just celebrated its founding anniversary, but it still suffered from unexplained deaths and disappearances. She jotted down the number for the Sunnydale High Library. Maybe Robin or Giles still worked there.

On the off chance that somebody might answer, she went straight for the payphone and dialled. The line connected after the third ring. "Sunnydale Library. How can I help you?" It was a woman's voice.

Buffy stammered, "Yes, uh, I'm... my name is Buffy. That's me. I would like to speak with Mr. Giles if he's there. He's the librarian. Please."

The woman replied, "I'm sorry, but I don't know any Mr. Giles. However, I can assure you he's not the librarian. I am." The woman sounded snippy.

"Well, okay. But is Principal Wood there?" Buffy persisted.

"No, but Principal Flutie is around here somewhere. Would you like to speak with him?"

"No, ma'am. Thank you." Buffy replaced the receiver, biting her lip. _No Giles. No Robin. Think, Buffy, think. Who else could we call?_

Angel. Of course! He had that Hyperion Hotel in LA. A quick Google then Buffy rushed back to the payphone. The line was dead. She fought the urge to hurl the phone across the room.

Instead, she tried to call the Rosenbergs' home number. The call was answered after the first ring. "Hello?"

"Hello, this is Buffy Summers. I'm a friend of Willow's. May I please speak with her?" Buffy held her breath.

There was a slight pause. "Is this some kind of sick joke? Why would you do this to me?" She sounded hysterical.

"What do you mean... I'm not joking, Mrs. Rosenberg!" Buffy defended. _Okaay, now I'm confused._ "Is Willow out? When will she be back?"

"You – you really don't know? It's been so long but..." Mrs. Rosenberg's voice cracked. "Willow has been gone for 7 years."

"Gone?" Buffy asked blankly. "When you say 'gone,' as in... dead?" She whispered. "She can't be."

"I'm sorry, dear. I – I don't know how... I'm sorry. I have to go. Goodbye." Then the call was ended.

Buffy didn't even notice Willow's mom hung up. She hadn't heard the insistent beep-beep-beeping from the receiver. She felt nothing. She was numb, robbed of all feeling. _Willow's dead? How could that be? If Willow's dead, then Xander..._ _Dawn... oh god..._

Ohgodohgodohgodohgodohgodohgod...

Her fingers typed as fast as they could, flew across the keyboard with great speed. Everything ground to a halt as she found what she was looking for:

* * *

 ** _Teenage Girl Mauled to Death_**

 _A 15-year-old teenage girl was killed instantly after she was mauled by what appeared to be a wild animal. The animal in question remained unidentified as police investigators continued their search for the elusive killer. The victim, Buffy Summers, 15, was said to have been walking home after cheerleading practice when she was attacked. Local authorities have denied any foul play in this incident._

* * *

This was the reason everyone's gone. All the people she saved, all those lives she connected with... all gone. Willow, Xander, Giles, Dawn, Faith... She couldn't wrap her head around it. Denial echoed inside her head, but her heart recognized the truth that stared back at her.

She probably had her own grave. At least the Buffy in this reality wouldn't be resurrected. _That's a pretty small comfort._

Angel and Spike were still probably around, only God knows where. They wouldn't even know her if she found them.

Caleb knew what he was doing when he dumped her in this godforsaken reality. This was the reality that happened when she didn't accept her calling, and she died because of that mistake. This was a timeline that didn't know her as the Slayer.

A timeline where she wasn't even supposed to exist.

Buffy felt more alone than ever.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: You know the drill.  
Summary: Buffy gets off her ass to finally test if she still has it. She meets a few heroes, and some ghosts of her past, along the way.

* * *

THREE.

 _I'm not getting up. I'm NEVER getting up._

 _The world can just go suck on its ass. I'm spending the rest of my life in bed._ Buffy rolled over on the bed, pulled the thick comforter with her until she was snuggled in its center like a sushi roll.

This was all fucked up. _I already gave too much of myself. I made my life be all about my calling. Now I have to lose everything I love, everything I have, to this dimension from hell?_ It was this cruel twist of fate that hardened her jaw in repressed anger.

 _I am SO not getting up. I'm not. I'm really really not. Do you fucking hear me?!_

She knew she sounded like a petulant child daring her parents. The Powers-That-Be will just have to find another soul to play with. She's done.

She was finally alone. Just like all the other Slayers before her. Everyone was gone. Her sister, her friends, her sister slayers or would-be slayers... all gone. Granted, they did kick her out of her own house, led by her very own sister Dawn. Ungrateful traitors. _Wait, that's a bad thought. Bad Buffy._ Who's to say things wouldn't have eventually turned out this way anyway?

Tried as she might, she didn't know how to get back to them. She remembered during one of their research nights years before, Willow found a book that talked about portals, wormholes and such. It was written by some scientist, she couldn't remember the name.

"Let me try and Google that. Hmmm..." Buffy muttered, eyes strained as she scrolled through the numerous results Google gave her. Opening strange portals... Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle ( _What the heck is that?!_ )... Finding the door to a parallel universe... Travelling to a parallel universe... _Damn. There's gotta be hundreds of these...what the hell. I'm just gonna point and click._

She opened a website that was actually helpful. The website's author said there were too many possible outcomes, too many potential timelines that have branched out from each other. The article mentioned that it would be "highly impossible to be able to go back to your original timeline once you've jumped on a different one. There were too many variable and dimensions that you could never retrace your steps back to where you came from."

Well, that about summed it up.

She was in way over her head. Deep down, she knew this was it.

It was over.

She didn't believe she was sent here on a whim. A random coincidence. Caleb knew he was sending her to her worst nightmare. Creating portals to a specific parallel universe was a near impossible task for a human to accomplish. It would take an incredibly skilled and powerful warlock to have done this. _Looks like Caleb was juicing up on The First's demonic powerbank. Figures._

At least she still had her Slayer powers, that much she was certain. She almost heard Sineya's growling at the back of her mind, the First Slayer felt just as lost and uncertain as Buffy was. Her injuries have healed nicely, thanks to her fast healing abilities. Her ribs were fine, and she might have to get the cast removed tomorrow.

What concerned her was, although she still had Slayer abilities, somehow she felt different. Changed. As if her atoms reattached differently when she fell out of that portal. Her body tingled, every pore overflowed with energy. Her body temperature had also gone awry. She knew she should at least have felt the cold weather. It was nearing November, and in the news it showed the temperature dropped to 50 last night. Her body still felt toasty warm.

And her hearing... it felt heightened. Too heightened. She easily heard the chatter in the hotel lobby, and she was on the 4th floor. _Unless these hotel walls and floors were incredibly thin, in which case I better get out of this house of cards soon._ If she concentrated hard enough, she knew she would hear an airline pilot communicating with the air traffic control tower. _Now that's just way too wiggy._

She continued to lay there. Her thoughts were jumbled, and her mind frightened to explore her new reality. Kendra was probably still alive. Maybe Kendra still went to Sunnydale, and she's the one who defeated the Master. She was smarter and more emotionally detached than Buffy ever was. Kendra also had that Slayer handbook, the contents of which Buffy was never privy to, much to her irritation.

Maybe there's a positive side to this. Maybe there was light at the end of this dismal tunnel. She often complained that she felt trapped in her life, that everyone always expected her to step up and lead, to avert apocalypses, and to keep the town safe from rampaging demons. Maybe it's time she stepped back and rested - somebody can handle the Hellmouth. Maybe this wasn't the curse Caleb thought it would be. Maybe the Powers-That-Be allowed this to happen so they gave their Slayer the freedom she longed for.

Buffy rarely experienced these moments of epiphany. Her mind suddenly cleared and her heart lightened with acceptance. She was free. For the first time, she can do anything she wanted. Travel, explore, see the wonders of this world that she had repeatedly sacrificed her life for.

 _Tomorrow. I'm gonna test my skills tomorrow. After that, I can finally start living my life._ Buffy smiled as her eyes fluttered close to sleep.

* * *

xXx  
xXxXxXxXx  
xXx

 _I knew this was a bad idea._

Buffy swallowed hard as she peered down at the flowing dark water almost a hundred feet below.

She woke up late in the night, having slept the whole day away. Restless and with her body fully healed, she broke the cast by herself, and then flexed her arms to stretch the kinks out. She wasn't really looking forward to the Doctor's questions, so she opted to skip her appointment. She was surprised how easy it was, like peeling tissue paper off her skin. _Looks like I gotta test my physical strength too._

She decided to test her endurance and body temperature first by cliff diving. It was a little extreme, but she always wanted to try this before. This was her chance. George the elderly bellhop suggested she try the popular one by the Hudson.

"A lot of the kids jump on that cliff. Adrenaline junkies." He grinned at her.

So that's where she found herself – on the precipice of a 90 ft cliff wall. She tried not to remember the last time she took a dive this high. _Stop thinking, Buffy. Just jump!_

"You're not gonna jump, lady, are you?"

Buffy squeaked in surprise, jumped back from the edge. She whirled around and saw a teenage boy, probably 15 or 16, stared at her with concern.

"That's an awfully long drop. And it's too dark to see where you'll land." He stepped forward cautiously, "You're not suicidal, right?"

"Huh? Oh. No, no. No. I'm not trying to kill myself, if that's what you're thinking. I just... I'm just your average crazy adrenaline junkie." Buffy tried to keep her tone light. Her spidey sense weren't tingling, so hopefully the boy wasn't a vamp or any type of demon. She cocked her head to one side, "Wait a seccond there, buddy. It's after midnight. What are you doing here? Don't you have school in the morning?"

"Can't sleep. So I went for a walk to clear my head." The boy peered over the cliff. "I don't know what you're trying to do, but you're freakin' crazy if you're gonna dive this high on your own." He began to remove his shirt.

"What the hell are you doing?" Buffy demanded.

"I'm diving with you. You can't dive alone. You might hit a rock or something." He replied matter-of-factly.

"I'll be fine." She insisted. "I'm a lot stronger than I look."

He looked at her slight figure. "Shh-yeah. Look, I can't let you jump alone. Aunt May didn't raise me like that. I've done this type of stuff before."

Buffy sighed. _Just my luck to get caught by a gentleman._ She had better make that jump soon before she lost her nerve. "Alright. Before we jump, can I at least know your name? You know, in case I have to pull your body from the water." She chuckled. "My name's Buffy."

"Buffy? That's a weird name." He joked. "I'm Peter."

"Hmm. Cute name. Doesn't suit you." She teased.

He peered once more over the cliff, "So we're really doing this?"

"You bet your ass. Let's go." She went back to her position. Peter followed suit.

"On three. One, two..."

"SHIIIIIT!" They both yelled as they jumped off the cliff.

It seemed it took forever for them to reach the water. The moment her feet hit the icy water, Buffy felt a surge of triumph. Her body welcomed the shock of the water's freezing temperature, but then it swiftly adjusted back to normal. Her body felt no pain, even from having slammed hard on the water surface. She kicked powerfully, reached the surface after a few seconds. She found Peter smiling from ear-to-ear beside her.

"That. Was. Freakin'. Awesome!" He gave a big war whoop, his arms raised in victory.

Buffy laughed, feeling giddy. They swam back to the lowest part of the cliff and started climbing back up. Buffy noted how fast Peter climbed, much like a spider crawling through a wall with ease. "You're a good climber, Pete." She hoisted herself up as she reached the top. "Got a lot of experience in rock climbing?"

"Some." He replied, his tone nonchalant. He quickly donned his shirt then turned to her with a raised hand. "Thanks for the midnight adrenaline rush, Buffy. Maybe we could do it again sometime. In daylight, of course." His eyes reflected his laughter.

Buffy chuckled, " Sure. I'll see you around, Pete."

"Bye, Buffy." Peter turned to go. He called out while walking away, "No more cliff diving tonight for you, lady."

"Bye, brat."

Buffy stood staring at the Hudson River, lost in thought. When the night slowly faded and light began showing from the horizon, she stood up and began her walk back to the hotel.

It was going to be another long day.

* * *

xXx  
xXxXxXxXx  
xXx

She felt all eyes were on her. She kept her gaze on her target and on her gun, changing gun magazines quickly as the timer ticked on.

Buffy dropped by a nearby firing range. She wanted to test her reflexes using weapons. She normally didn't use guns when she slayed, but Xander and Riley once taught her how to use one in case the need arose. Her hands emptied and replaced each magazine with incredible speed that she knew her movements were all a blur to the curious onlookers. Buffy chose to ignore the open-mouthed stares, focused more on pushing her skills to the limit.

A siren sounded, and then the targets started moving forward for closer inspection. Buffy gave a satisfied smile, her shots all went through both bullseyes on the head and chest. _Yeah, I'm awesome._

From the other end of the room, Clint Barton noticed the blond woman's performance. She was no ordinary marksman, he could tell. In fact, the way she carried herself – she acted just like Natasha. Tough, deadly, and with accurate aim.

He sauntered to Buffy's side, "You got some moves on you, kid." He drawled lazily.

Her eyes glanced at the paper targets he held, Buffy laughed, "Right back at you, stranger." He had the same results as hers.

"Yeah. I just can't seem to miss." He smiled. "I'm Clint."

"Buffy." She began to gather her things, folding her paper then slipped it on her duffel bag. "It was nice meeting you..."

"I was just about to go over the archery course. You up for a challenge?" Clint offered.

Buffy paused, thoughtful. She relented, "Sure, I can do that." She gave him a sly smile, "How about we make it interesting. 10 bucks?"

Clint grinned, "You sure it's okay for me to take your money? I could act the gentleman and bow out."

"Dream on, stranger. Put your money where your mouth is. Let's go."

Twenty minutes later, Clint wanted to eat his words. Buffy was great at the gun range. But a bow and arrow in her hand? They were created for her. He felt he's finally met his match.

"Buffy, man... if I didn't see it with my own two eyes..." Clint stared at her, "You've got lightning fast moves. I was on my 4th arrow, but you were onto your 12th." He looked impressed.

"Yeah. Fork it over." He handed her his 10 bucks. "Thank you, kind sir."

"I still don't know how you did it." Clint shook his head in disbelief.

"Somehow, I feel you're usually a hard guy to impress." Buffy smiled. She had good aim before, but with her newly improved senses, she practically predicted the trajectory of her arrow. She swore she could _hear_ if the arrow headed straight for the point she aimed at. Her arrows sliced each other open as she fired nonstop at the same exact point of the bullseye. "You've got wicked moves yourself, Clint."

"Yeah. I kinda need to keep 'em sharp. Part of the job." He glanced at his watch, "Uhh, okay. I'm sorry but I gotta go, Buff. I guess I'll be seeing you around? I'd love to get a rematch."

Buffy waved him away, "Yeah. I'll be around. Go. Bye!" She folded her archery target results, smiling to herself. Checking the time , she figured she could drop by that local gym/boxing club before she'll call it a day.

Time for some weight training.

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Buffy changed into her workout gear inside the women's locker room. To be honest, she didn't expect a women's locker room. The boxing gym wasn't exactly teeming with women working out. She was surprised when she found a modest little room that had a sign "women only", with four metal lockers on one wall and large mirrors on the other.

She never really did any weight training before, her usual training sessions with Giles consisted of sparring, calisthenics, & yoga, with the occasional weapons and martial arts training thrown in, for good measure.

She noticed the equipment room was sparsely filled with men – some looked like amateur boxers, the others looked like military guys. They reminded her of Riley and the Initiative. She refused to be intimidated. _They think they can scare a sweet li'l girl like me. They're in for a big surprise._ Buffy grinned to herself. She inspected the rows of weights arranged by the wall, trying to figure which ones to start with.

"First time?" A deep voice spoke from behind her.

Buffy turned, and then her heart stopped. _Oh, you have got to be kidding me!_ It was Riley! She had to bite her tongue before she said his name, not in the mood for explanations. He'll definitely freak and arrest her. Instead, she nodded casually, "Yeah. I'm not sure how to go about this."

Riley grinned, "If it's okay with you, I'll spot you." He extended his hand, "I'm Riley Finn. You can call me Riley."

"Buffy Summers." She shook his hand. She hoped to high heaven that wasn't her hand trembling.

Two guys appeared behind Riley. "Riley, I should have known you'd head straight for the ladies." The black guy gave her what he thought was a charming smile. Buffy's smile stiffened, her memories of this particular man were not entirely pleasant. "I'm Forrest. And this here's Graham."

Buffy glanced at the third guy. Just like the Graham in her old time, he was still the quiet and observant one. She still definitely preferred him over Forrest. _Plus he's kind of cute._ "Hi. I'm Buffy."

"Pleasure." Graham gave her a small smile.

"So let's pick your starting weight then we'll build from there." Riley led her to where the dumbbells were displayed.

Buffy gave him a quick look, and then said, "I'd like to try the barbells first. Starting with the 100 lb weights. Is that okay?" She looked at Riley expectantly.

He raised his eyebrows, "That's not the usual beginner training." Buffy heard Forrest's guffaw behind Graham.

"Believe me. I'm not actually a beginner." Buffy smiled reassuringly, "I just haven't gotten around to working with weights before."

"Alright. Go over the bench and lie down. I'll bring the barbell to you."

Buffy quickly settled on her back. She watched Riley load the weights on either side of the long bar then brought it to her. "Alright, we got a total of 100 lbs here..."

Buffy interrupted him, "Uh, Riley? I meant 100 lbs on _each side._ Sorry."

Riley blinked, but headed back to get additional weights. He quickly loaded them, "Right. We've got 200 lbs here. You could try and do at least 10 bench presses, then pause for 10 minutes for each interval. We'll increase the weight after every interval. Okay?"

Buffy nodded.

Riley settled the barbell on the metal rack. Buffy stretched her arms, tested the weight before she started her bench presses. She was so intently focused on her presses that she didn't notice Riley stared at her like she just grew two heads and a tail. She signalled to him that she wanted to rest. Riley set the barbell back on the rack. He glanced at Forrest and Graham, both of which were giving her weird looks. "What?" She asked nervously.

Riley cleared his throat. "Nothing. You were pressing 35 reps. Just rest for 10 minutes. I'll add another 10 lbs on the barbell."

Buffy nodded, her mind racing. 35 reps? And she didn't even feel winded yet. Is that why Forrest was staring her like that?

"Could you make it 200 lbs each? I just want to test something." Buffy suggested casually. She darted sidelong glances at Riley's friends, silently gauged their reactions. Their faces remained stoic.

"O-okay. If you're sure." Riley frowned. He brought the barbell and placed it on the metal rack again. "You ready?" He signalled to other guys. They stood at the ready on each side, in case Buffy got in trouble.

She grimaced at them, then nodded. "Go." She stretched her arms once more, wrapped her fingers securely on the metal bar. She started her presses at a steady pace. She heard Riley counted each repetition under his breath, his eyes fixed on her as she steadily lifted the barbell up and down.

When she had enough, Riley settled the barbell on the rack with the help of his two friends. He knelt down beside her. "55 reps. What the hell, Buffy? Are you some kind of mutant?" Riley spoke in a low voice, his eyes accusing.

"Mutant?" Buffy narrowed her eyes. _How come his reaction doesn't surprise me?_ His accusation hurt. His tone suggested he was insulting her. Although the word mutant wasn't really something she took offense in. The look in his eyes made her defensive. "Do I look like one to you, Mr. Finn?"

"Don't be throwing that word around, Finn." Graham cautioned. "People are still sensitive to hearing it spoken out loud."

"If you are, you gotta watch your back, little lady." Forrest cautioned.

Buffy sat up, "I don't know what ... mutant," She lowered her voice at the word,"means. Like I told you, I'm no beginner. I've just been doing a different kind of strength training. Martial arts, triathlons, rock climbing, yoga. My mentor was a fitness nerd." She said in a curt voice. "Not that I need to explain myself to you, Riley Finn." She got up and started to walk away.

Riley caught her arm, an apologetic expression on his handsome face, "Wait. I'm sorry, Buffy. I've never seen anybody handle that kind of weight before with the kind of power you have. And with you looking all, you know..." He looked at her helplessly. "You just took me by surprise, is all."

"Apology accepted." Buffy sniffed.

"Come on, you've had enough weight training. How are you at boxing?" Riley tried to engage her once more.

Buffy turned to look at the boxing ring, "I'm not that familiar with the rules. But I've done some kickboxing and wrestling before."

Forrest glanced at Riley, "Dude, you've got that gleam on your eyes again..."

"You won't stand a chance." Graham shook his head.

Riley ignored them. He flashed an easy grin, "Do you think you can take me?"

Before she could say no, he grabbed her hand and dragged her over to the ring. _Oookay. So we're definitely gonna fight in front of all these people_. She reminded herself she needed to take it easy on him. With her highly increased strength, and with her rotten luck, it wouldn't do if she ended up with the guy's blood on her hands.

She noticed a lone man in a far corner. He worked on one of those huge punching bags by the side, a couple of broken bags tossed to one side. He was dead set on killing the current one, each powerful punch managed to swing the bag from its perch. "Who's that guy? He's got a mean swing." Buffy asked curiously.

Riley made an opening so Buffy could enter the ring. "That's Steve Rogers, aka Captain America. Col. Fury sent the three of us to watch his back." Buffy hid her smile at his proud tone. He looked like a big boy scout, his chest puffed up.

"I'm sure you'll get your merit badge when you complete that mission, Boy Scout Finn." Buffy laughed. Xander would totally flip out if he knew she was in the same room as his childhood hero. She began to hop from one foot to the other in an effort to loosen her tense muscles. Her body appeared relaxed. "So, how would you like your ass handed to you? Roasted or mashed?"

Riley grinned, "You, my lady, have bragging issues. How about a no-holds-barred regular street fight? Seeing you with those weights got me thinkin' I need all the advantages I could get."

Buffy noticed most of the gym's patrons paused and started to gather around them. She gave him a cocky grin, "Okay, whatever makes you sleep at night, princess." The crowd erupted into hoots and laughter.

Riley smiled, then dropped all pretence and lunged forward. Buffy easily blocked him, and then twisted to one side with one leg circled below in a wide arch, drove Riley unceremoniously face down on the floor. He jumped up, whirled to catch her with a roundhouse kick, but Buffy easily stopped it with one hand. Her other hand reached to grip his leg, pulled his entire body forward then slammed him on the ring ropes. Riley's body bounced on the ropes, propelled him back to her, his arms stretched to smash into her. Buffy ducked, caught his arm then hurled him to the side. Riley's breath whooshed out as he found himself on the floor again.

Capt. Steve Rogers looked up and observed the fight in progress. The crowd appeared to be cheering the blond woman who sparred with Riley Finn, the SHIELD agent assigned to watch him. Fury didn't want him on his own. The SHIELD Director made sure Steve was being watched round the clock, the fact that he just woke up from a 67-year sleep might have messed up with his mind. Steve acknowledged the man had a point.

He crossed his arms and leaned back on the wall, casually watched the ongoing fight. It was unevenly matched – the woman appeared stronger and had smoother fighting skills than Agent Finn. He noticed she hardly broke a sweat. When he focused on her face, he saw she was tense and focused, lips stretched to a tight line. She looked like she was holding back. It was clear she was trying to pull her punches and worked on using Riley's attacks and momentum against him.

 _Who is this woman?_ He wondered. He briefly considered her as another product of the super soldier serum, but he dismissed it, thinking it unlikely. Nobody was able to replicate Erskine's original formula. He caught the woman's grim expression, and knew instinctively she was planning her final takedown to end the fight. Riley was already looking a little grey and frayed around the edges.

Buffy placed a well-aimed kick on his abdomen, then took a couple of steps back as Riley doubled over. She ran towards him, grabbed hold of his shoulders and leaped upward until she got both her legs above his shoulders, sat and straddled his head. With conscious control, she squeezed her legs together, immobilized him as she leaned backwards, and flipped him over. He crashed once more on the ring floor, gasped for breath as Buffy smiled and sits on his chest. She had both his legs in a firm pin. In an instant, the fight was over.

Riley tapped on the floor, admitting defeat. He met Buffy's eyes, saying, "You're one hell of a fighter, lady. I think you just killed me."

Buffy laughed, "You've got skills too, Mr. Finn. Thanks for not holding back on me."

"I wish I could say the same thing to you. I think I bit off more than I could chew." Riley laughed, but ended up coughing.

"Oh god, I didn't hurt you too much did I?" There was genuine concern in Buffy's eyes. She helped him stand up.

Riley waved her away, "Nah. I'll be fine." He stretched, his face tried to mask his pain. "Being in security detail definitely made me soft."

Forrest snorted, "Yeah. That's probably it, man."

Buffy tapped his shoulder in a gesture of solidarity, "Don't worry. We could always get a rematch. I'm getting water then I'm hitting the showers." She waved at the three men as she walked towards the water cooler.

"You do know they were sent to watch me." Steve approached, a crooked smile on his lips.

"So I heard." Buffy downed the last of her water. "Honestly, you don't seem the type."

"Type?" He echoed blankly.

"The type who has bodyguards." She gave him a teasing smile.

Steve was unable to prevent his answering smile. She was something, this lady fighter. "Are you from around here?"

She closed the cap on her container, "Brooklyn. Just arrived the other day."

"Oh. I used to live in Brooklyn." He commented. "So what do you do, aside from kicking ass in a boxing gym?"

* * *

Unknown to the couple who stood chatting by the cooler, a man garbed in a black leather duster was observing them a few yards away. He scratched the corner of his one good eye, gazed thoughtfully at the remarkable woman who just wiped the floor with his agent. He dialled a private number on his cell, waited patiently for it to connect. A woman voice spoke, "This is Hill."

"Hill? I need you to do something for me. Call Agent Finn and bring him to my office. I'm on my way."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N:

I'm sorry for taking too long to update. I've had to struggle with life, mostly about my health. Losing 100 lbs in three months ain't good, stupid thyroid gland...  
I already finished the outline so I have a pretty good idea on where the story will go.

DISCLAIMER: Joss Whedon owns Buffy, Marvel owns the Avengers. I'm just the kid who likes playing in other people's backyards.

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FOUR.

The next morning, Buffy decided not to look at this gift horse in the mouth. _Or was it the nose? What does it even mean, looking at a horse?_ Buffy thoughtfully paused while towelling her hair dry. _Oh yeah, that's the part you should focus on, Buffy._

This was _her_ chance. A chance at a normal life. Without the shadow of impending doom or the next apocalyptic event looming on the horizon, she didn't have to put her life on hold anymore in order to save the world _again_.

A world that had apparently screwed her over more times than she cared to count.

However, without demon slayage duties, she had to take care of normal people responsibilities now – like money, for example. Spike's money would eventually run out. What she had left might last for a couple of months, at least, so she really did have to get off her ass and started looking for a job. The thought of her short stint in the Doublemeat Palace left a bad taste in her mouth.

 _Any job would most definitely be an improvement to_ **that** _experience._

She faced the mirror to work on her hair. She thought about the decisions she made before, determined to make it right this time. With a resolve face that rivaled Willow's, she glared at her reflection and inwardly declared, _I'm gonna have my cake, and eat it too!_

She paused briefly. _But before I get to the cake-eating part, I gotta get IDs and stuff._ She sighed, panic and determination rivaled within.

 _What would Willow do?_ Willow, before she became uber-witchy, used to spend time hacking government websites and databases. She tried to teach the basics to Buffy, but it was way too technical for her to understand. However, there was one lesson Buffy did remember. _What better time to test it than now? Besides, I'm all out of options._

Good thing it didn't require any hacking skills.

"Hello, is this the Los Angeles County? I'm looking for the County Recorder." Buffy waited while her call was transferred.

As soon as she heard another voice speak from the other end, Buffy greeted in an overly bright tone. "Hi! This is Buffy Summers." She flipped her hair, getting into character. "I was, like, thinkin'... I know right? Anyway, I was thinking is there a way I can get a copy of my birth certificate? You see, I had that one copy, but then I lost it. There was this fire and my things got caught up, and most of it's just wet and stuff, then my dad started going on and on about responsibility and whatever..." Buffy paused, "Yeah, that's Elizabeth Anne Summers. My friends call me Buffy. I so have no idea why. Anyway, I just, like, got back from the Philippines, I joined this missionary program. I know, right? And yeah, I just got back, and I have this friend who told me that her roommate knows a guy, who knows a guy, who knows a casting director who can get me into one of those infomercials? I so wanted to be an actress since I was, like, five. My dad didn't want me to get, like, my hopes up. He was totally wiggy and I was like, Daddy, chill okay? But my mom was all, Buffy, you're so pretty you can do anything you want. I so totally get that. My mom is so super cool and stuff, you know? So I was thinking..." Buffy was prepared to ramble on, but then she smiled triumphantly. They were sending her birth certificate as soon as she sends the money order.

She quickly gave the hotel's address for the shipment then began gushing at the person on the other end. "Oh, thank you so much! I wish I could just go through this line and kiss you! This is awesome! Thanks again! Bye!"

 _Wow, that was easier than I thought._ Buffy flopped on the bed, staring at the ceiling, catching her breath after that long ramble. Rambling was hard work. Most people just don't appreciate a good ramble anymore.

The guy said she can expect her copy to arrive within the week. Once she has it, she could work on getting a license and social security.

Buffy gave a sigh of satisfaction. The morning was lookin' mighty better now.

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 _Wow, that looks... majorly tacky._ Buffy stared up at the imposing height of the Stark Tower. _Man, overcompensating much?_

Her morning stroll led her back to the same electronics store, this time to finally get herself a cellphone. She figured she'll need one when she goes jobhunting soon. The geeky tech person from the store also set her up with internet access using her phone so she could use it to search for work.

It was a beautiful day. A cool breeze gently tousled her hair as she lifted her face to the sun. This feeling of carefree happiness was almost alien to her, having lived in constant fear and heartache. She let her feet decide where to wander off and take in the sights and sounds of New York City. She realized this was the first time she's ever set foot outside Sunnydale's town limits.

 _The world IS round, Buffy. There are other places other than Sunnydale. Or Los Angeles._

She found herself staring at one of the tallest buildings in the city. Maybe it could be the tallest, Buffy had no idea. It was right across the street from a charming little restaurant. A seating hostess led her to a small outdoor table, which allowed her to enjoy the morning sun while she indulged in people watching.

Buffy sighed happily, glancing down at the menu the hostess handed her. She traced her finger on the cutlery, then opened it to scan the contents. A smiling waitress named Beth, as shown on her nametag, approached and asked if she was ready to order.

"So, are you hoping to see him?" Beth grinned conspiratorially.

Buffy raised an eyebrow, "I'm sorry?" She asked, confused.

"Ironman. He usually flies through here to get to the top of the tower." Beth confided. "That's why most people choose to eat here."

"Oh. Okay." Buffy had no idea who this Ironguy was. "Actually, I've been walking around the city, exploring and getting comfortable. I just moved here a few days ago, so everything's still pretty... overwhelming." Buffy tried to smile, but to her horror, she felt her eyes welling up. She kept talking, trying to distract herself. "I'm thinking I might have to start looking for a job real soon. Although I'm not really sure I'm qualified for anything. I did work in a fastfood restaurant for a few months. And that diner in LA. I really have to find a job soon, I don't think I'd be able to... keep, uh... with the spending..." Buffy realized she was rambling, definitely not a good sign. Avoiding the waitress' reaction, she buried her nose once more in the menu. "Uh... I think I'll have the garden burger and an iced tea, please." She felt her cheeks turned red.

"That's a good choice, sweetie." Beth looked at her thoughtfully. She instinctively knew this girl suffered a raw deal. Her eyes gave her away. They looked old and world weary. She felt her heart go out to this young woman, who obviously needed a break from whatever her life was like. Her notepad and pencil tucked in her apron pocket, she smiled at the blushing blonde and excused herself for a minute, heading straight for her manager's office. She had an idea that could help out this poor stranger.

Buffy sat staring into space, her mind preoccupied with memories of the past. She missed those carefree days back in Sunnydale High – research nights, facing the next big bad together, hanging out at Giles' apartment. It was a fun time, without all the drama that happened once they stepped into college. Then came the First and Caleb... _Boy, that was on the opposite side of fun_.

Her mood took a dark turn as her thoughts went back to Dawn, her friends and the potentials. With the initial shock worn off, she allowed herself to slowly process the events that led to her confrontation with The First's main man. There was no use thinking about what-ifs, could-bes, and should-haves.

 _Shoulda, woulda, coulda_. Buffy gave a mental shrug. If they hadn't kicked her out... if she wasn't pulled out from heaven... if her mom hadn't died... if Dawn was never created... if Faith hadn't gone rogue... if Angel hadn't lost his soul... _I have to focus on *this* timeline. That part of my life is done. Finished. Roll the credits._ _Exit stage left._

Her brain accepted the reality of her fate, but her heart... not so much. It still had a hard time getting caught up with the sudden plot twist. A part of her found it difficult to let go, to turn her back against everything – family, friends, memories...

Her entire life.

 _I've lived longer than most slayers, and at least I can say I've had more than some girls ever hoped for._ She fiddled with the cutlery, trying to smooth the table napkin. _I'll just have to find a way to live in this new world. Maybe try and get a bit of slaying done on the side._ She grinned to herself. In some way, it helped that she bumped into Riley and his friends. It gave her a small measure of comfort that maybe there were others from her old life still somewhere in this strange new world. She wasn't feeling quite alone anymore.

"Hey," A familiar male voice called out from behind, "Buffy, right? Fancy seeing you here." Steve tapped gently on her shoulder, grinning happily as he sat next to her.

"Hey, Steve." Buffy smiled back. She glanced behind her, "Are you with someone? What are you doing here?"

"I was just in the neighborhood, trying to feel my way around the city. Everything still feels strange to me." He admitted, reaching for the menu. "Is it okay if I join you?"

"Yeah, sure." She grinned, relieved at the distraction.

"I haven't had a bite to eat. I was feeling restless, and my apartment isn't exactly the most comfortable of places." Steve gestured at a passing waitress. "What did you get?"

"Oh, uh... the garden burger and iced tea?" It came out as a question.

Steve closed the menu and handed it to the waitress, "I'll have what she's having, but make it two burgers. And could you add a plate of chilli fries? Thanks."

Their eyes met. Steve chuckled nervously. Buffy leaned on the table, curiousity in her voice,"So... why did you say everything feels strange? Aren't you supposed to be from New York?"

Steve stammered, "Oh, uh, yeah. I already told you I'm from Brooklyn, right? I just meant, New York is... you know... such a big city, and I've been away for a long time. Traveling."

"Traveling, huh?" Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Where?"

"Uh, Germany?" Steve chuckled nervously. "Spent a lot of time backpacking there."

"Really? You've been backpacking across Western Europe?" Buffy asked deadpan.

"Uh... yeah, sure." Steve coughed. "Some army buddies of mine took me camping, and skiing... yeah. And there was a train, we rode a train. To... to, uh..."

Buffy giggled, "I'm just messing with you, Steve, or should I say, " She lowered her voice, "Captain America?"

"You knew?" He gave her a pained look. "And you let me ramble on?"

"Well, duh! Agent Finn already told me back at the gym. Besides, like I always say, people just don't appreciate a good ramble nowadays." Her bright smile lit up her youthful face. She winked, "It's not as if your super soldier project is still classified. They're even planning to have an exhibit about you and your Howling Commandos at the Smithsonian in DC." Her eyes danced with laughter, "Tell me. How does it feel to be a _superhero_ , Cap?"

"Very funny, Summers. You should talk." He shot back. "With your incredible fighting skills, I'm surprised SHIELD hasn't recruited you yet."

"Shield? Is that some sort of Superhero organization you have here?"

Steve gave her a strange look, "You could probably say that. They've been recruiting several individuals with specific skill sets. I've been told it has to do with global security."

"Global security? Sounds hokey to me." Buffy joked.

"Yeah, I guess it does." He chuckled.

"Well, according to Riley, mutants exist in this world. So it shouldn't be a stretch to have a superhero organization, like this Shield, in the works." She frowned slightly, thoughts of her cliff-jumping friend came to mind. _Maybe he was a mutant?_

 _WAIT. Am I one in this universe?_

"I don't know much about mutants, but SHIELD did recruit The Hulk. From what I've heard, he might be one." Steve commented. "Have you met other mutants?"

"Hmmm..." She said, distracted. _Time for a topic change._ "So, Cap, what have you been up to lately?"

He blinked. "You mean, since that time at the gym? Not much, I'm afraid. Been staring at some old case files at home. It's harder to distract yourself when you've got nothing going on." He grinned sheepishly. "With most of my buddies retired and happily married, I haven't gone out much."

"No girlfriend?" She teased.

"Would you believe I just had my... er, second kiss right before I crashed into the arctic?" He gave her an embarrassed look. Buffy's heart warmed at his shy smile.

'Seriously?"

"Seriously. I wasn't into the dating scene much back then." He had a faraway look on his eyes. "Bucky was the ladies' man, not me. He kept setting me up on these dates, but I just wasn't interested."

Buffy chuckled, "I can't imagine you having trouble finding dates."

Steve gave her a bewildered look, "I was a scrappy kid. I wasn't..."

"So?" She countered. "That doesn't mean you're undateable. My friend Xander, one of the dorkiest guys I know, managed to date one of the most popular girls in high school." She shrugged, "He could have done better, but you know how love can be... strange."

Steve laughed softly, "Yeah, I get that. Love can be strange. How about you? Any tall mysterious men I should be watching out for?"

Faces of the men who made up her chaotic lovelife since she became a Slayer flashed before her eyes. It was a relief not to deal with all that drama anymore.

"Nah, I'm happy as a clam being single and ready to mingle." _Oh god, I didn't just say that, did I? Talk about cheesy lines!_ Buffy felt her cheeks go beet red.

"I'm not sure about being ready to mingle, but to be honest, I'm still working on trying to absorb everything. A lot has happened in seventy years. I have to figure out how to start over." Steve admitted. "My mind is having a hard time catching up."

"Yeah, you and me both. I've got a lot on my plate too, and romance hasn't even cracked my top ten. But yeah, I totally get that."

Steve gave her a skeptical look. "You do?"

"Really, I do! Well, obviously, _not_ the being-frozen-for-seventy-years part, because hello! But I do know what you're going through. More so than you might realize, Rogers." She scowled at him. "I know a thing or two about feeling lost in a world that has moved on without you. And yeah, I know that losing five months is nothing compared to losing seventy years, not to mention the emotional trauma and the confusing timelines but still...""

Steve stared at her, "You lost five months?" He frowned. "Were you frozen too?"

 _Oops._ "Uhhh... not really." She shook her head. There was no simple way to explain how Willow managed to raise her back from the dead. "You could say I decided on getting an early retirement. Only, my job wasn't through with me just yet. So they needed to bring me back. Whether I wanted to or not. And it didn't matter that I was all zen and peaceful and happy. They needed me back so they brought me back. They brought me back to the job, not like I was raised from the dead or anything." Buffy added hastily. _God! Could you be more obvious?!_

"Sounds... hokey." They both chuckled at that. He could tell she wasn't being entirely truthful, but something held him back from pressing the issue.

Before he could comment any further, Beth the waitress brought their orders. As she carefully placed their food on the table, she glanced at Buffy, "Oh, by the way, if you're still looking for work, we've got an opening for a waitress. We're seriously understaffed, with all these people coming in just to get a glimpse of Mr. Stark."

"Ironman." Steve added when he noted Buffy's blank expression.

"Iron-who?" Buffy asked, still confused. She sounded like she lived under a rock. This Ironguy seemed like a big deal. "Oh, Ironman." She nodded in feigned understanding.

"So, how about it?" Beth grinned expectantly at her. "The pay's good and we've got healthcare."

Buffy looked searchingly at Beth's earnest expression. "Why are you doing this? I mean... I don't mean to sound ungrateful or anything..."

"Don't worry, I know this is a bit sudden." Beth reassured her. "But I've been where you are now. I also chose to try my luck in the city. So far, it's been working out for me and my little boy." She gave Buffy an encouraging look. "Somebody helped me once when I first moved here. So you could say I'm paying it forward."

"That's really nice of you... Beth." Steve read her nameplate. "Not a lot of people will go out of their way to help out a stranger." He smiled warmly at her.

Beth blushed. "It... It's nothing. So what do you say?"

Buffy looked at her, her eyes shining, "Well, I say, call me Buffy. And thank you. You don't know how much this means to me."

"Great! I'll go tell Mike right away. Oops, oh god, so so sorry. I forgot you're on a date. This can wait. God, I'm such a spaz." She laughed. "Let me talk with Mike, then we'll see you tomorrow?" Beth smiled happily, giving them a small wave as she walked away.

Buffy stared at her burger then at Steve. On cue, they burst out laughing. "That was..."

"She really does seem like a nice girl." Steve commented, digging into the chilli fries.

Buffy nodded, "Yeah. Lucky for me." They ate their lunch in companionable silence.

She observed him from the corner of her eye. He went through the motions of eating, his movements almost automaton. He could hold his own in conversations, but she noticed his eyes would sometimes have that haunted look – a very familiar haunted look. The same look that she used to see every time she looked in the mirror.

 _The hardest thing in this world... is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me._ Her own words came back to haunt her. That whole being-raised-back-from-the-dead thing really screwed with her head, big time. Yet somehow, she knew if she confided about being in heaven to Steve, he'll be the only one who would truly understand.

Steve Rogers turned out to be quite an enigma. She read everything she could find about Captain America and his Howling Commandos. It turned out to be a fascinating read, their exploits were almost similar to her own experiences.

As for the 411 on Steve Rogers himself? Not so much. All she found were old medical records that showed his numerous conditions. Other than that, zilch. For now, Steve Rogers remained a mystery.

"Tell me some war stories, Cap. What was it like, before you were given the serum?" Buffy took a sip of her drink.

Steve almost choked on his drink, coughing as laughter filled his eyes. "War stories? Yeah, that didn't make me feel old at all." He chuckled, "Not much with the stories before I joined the army, but yeah, we've had some rough times during those days. We'd have to sleep on the ground for nights on end. There was that time my best friend was taken prisoner in one of the enemy's camps, so I had to go rescue him. We were lucky."

"In my book, first rule is: _Don't die._ " She grinned, taking a huge bite.

He smiled back. "True. And if we did, we just had to walk it off."

"So what else?" Buffy looked interested.

"The food was... not good. No, scratch that. It was awful. This was the time when we used to boil everything. Ugh, it was horrible. Food was all tasteless and mushy."

"Well, that's a great story, grandpa!" Buffy grinned teasingly. "But what was it like fighting in a war? I mean, it was an _actual_ war, with guns and huge tanks and human soldiers. That has gotta be intense, right?"

Steve noted she classified them as _human_ soldiers. "Well, yeah. But you see, I chose to join that fight. I knew what I was getting into. We all knew what we were fighting for."

Buffy nodded. She knew what it was like to fight for a cause. However, in her case, fighting the good fight meant you have to face a few apocalyptic events. Still, having that moral compass can sometimes be a blessing, as well as a curse. Thinking of her last battle, a wave of melancholy swept through her heart. _Sometimes, you have to stand alone and keep fighting._

Steve noticed Buffy's sudden shift in mood. He wondered what secrets hid behind those big blue eyes of hers. Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes, the corners drooped slightly when she turned pensive. _Who is this woman?_

He stared at her hand casually resting on the table. _Her ringless hand._ He noted with satisfaction. Not that he was going to try make a move on her, he's not that type of guy. He can wait. Instead, he regaled her with the funniest bootcamp mishaps he could think of, his heart warmed at the sight of her smile.

They lingered over coffee, various conversation topics flowed seamlessly along. They both felt light-hearted and happy, emotions that were few and far in between, which made it difficult to let go of.

After leaving a generous tip for Beth, Steve suggested a casual stroll by the park. _That's not too pushy, right?_ He assured himself. Being the gentleman that he is, he held out his hand to help her up.

Buffy smiled, her eyes danced with mirth. "Thank you, kind sir." She teased.

Steve blushed, "Sorry, old habits."

"Don't be. I like it." She grinned. Their eyes met, and almost instinctively, their hands connected in a loose and comfortable clasp.

As Steve escorted her across the street, Buffy felt her nape prickled with unease. Her head shot up as she quickly searched their surroundings. The Slayer within growled at the perceived threat, the familiar sensation of a vampiric presence nearby suddenly made her edgy.

Steve noticed when she stiffened, automatically wrapped his arm around her shoulders while his senses went on high alert. "What's wrong? What happened?"

She saw him just as they reached the other side. She recognized that patch of bleached hair anywhere. Her eyes widened as the sight of those familiar blue eyes set her heart pounding. In fear.

 _Spike?_

It can't be. How...?

"Spike" was fully garbed in his signature black leather duster and DMs, smirked as he held her stare. Steve glanced at the direction Buffy was focused at, a confused look on his face, "Who is that? An old friend?"

Buffy murmured absently, "You could say that." She doubted this was _her_ Spike. His pale skin glistened under the sun's glare – and wasn't ashed down by its rays. His eyes burned with ice-cold hatred, so intense that Buffy shivered involuntarily. One thing she was definitely sure of – he was still a full-on master vampire.

Steve tightened his hold on her, reacting instinctively at the way this stranger kept staring at Buffy. Just as he was about to take a threatening step towards the bold stranger, a city bus sped past across the street, briefly broke their eye contact. The moment the bus moved on, _Spike_ was gone.

Buffy took a deep breath then turned to Steve, "Let's go. I made a mistake. That wasn't my friend, after all."

Steve nodded, although his eyes reflected his doubts.

She kept her eyes in front of her, Steve's warm hand enveloped hers comfortingly.

 _It couldn't have been Spike. The Spike of this dimension wouldn't have known about her. But how could you hate someone that much without knowing them in the first place?_

 _What the hell is going on here?_

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"Agent Finn."

Riley jumped to his feet as soon as Director Fury entered the office. His hand snapped in a salute.

Fury glanced at him before going behind his desk, "At ease, soldier. Take a seat. Now," He leaned back on his leather chair, hands clasped in front. "... would you mind telling me how the hell you're connected with a certain... Miss Elizabeth Summers?"

"Huh?" Riley gave him a blank look.

"Buffy. I think she goes by 'Buffy.'" He snorted derisively.

"Oh, that girl from the gym?" Riley commented thoughtfully, "She was a bit peculiar, but..."

"Peculiar, you say?" Fury straightened, looked interested.

"Yes sir. At first I suspected she might be one of those mutants, but then..."

The Director raised an eyebrow, "Mutant? How so?"

"Sir, she was benchpressing 400 lbs with 55 reps. For somebody who probably weighed less than a hundred, that was incredible."

Fury sat back silently, deep in thought. He stared at Riley, his gaze cold and calculating. _So this girl has mad skills to take down this soldier, and the strength to probably rival my super soldier. Interesting._

Riley was beginning to feel uncomfortable. He started to shift in his seat when the Director suddenly spoke, "I need you to do something for me, Agent Finn."

He blinked at the sudden request. "Yes, sir."

"I want you to find everything you can about Buffy Summers. I want to know where she lives, where she eats, where she shops, or whether she has a cat or a dog. I want to know where she spends most of her day, where she goes at night, if she has a boyfriend or a girlfriend. I want to know where she's from, who her parents are, who her best friend from kindergarten was, her favorite book and whatever secrets you could find. Everything." Fury's eyes almost glowed with manic determination. "Agent Finn, did you get that?"

Riley nodded slowly, his mind racing at the implications of this order, and what the consequences might be for questioning such an order.

"I said," Fury repeated slowly, "Agent Finn, did you get that?"

"Sir, yes, sir. I'll do my best, sir."

"Good." Fury suddenly smiled, his manner relaxed and congenial. "I would like to know if this woman is a friendly or not. We're on the brink of a global conflict, now that Phase 2 is underway. We might need all the allies that we could get."

Riley fought to keep his face impassive. _Phase 2?_

Fury nodded at him, "Dismissed." With that, he turned his back on the agent.

The SHIELD agent shot to his feet, and immediately strode to the door. Looked like he had a lot of work to do.

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 _I was right. Everything about that girl WAS peculiar._

Riley stood at one end of an alley, typical city noise surrounded him as he remained still. Pungent smells of mixed urine and garbage reached his nose, his eyes watered at the offensive scents. _Ugh, so this is where she came from?_

His search initially led him supposedly to Buffy's _parents_ , Hank and Joyce Summers, a wealthy couple who lived in a sprawling mansion in Los Angeles. It took several tries but he finally managed to get a video conference call with the two. Evidently, money is never enough to buy happiness - they were in the middle of divorce negotiations, which made his request to talk with them _together_ a bit awkward.

Wading through the nasty sniping and whining between the couple, Riley uncovered one disturbing truth – Elizabeth "Buffy" Summers was dead. Has been dead for seven years, in fact. She was a victim of an animal attack, from what her distraught mother revealed. This led to another round of shouting, blaming and cursing. Riley bit back his tongue, no need to get into all that drama.

 _Marriage really isn't for everybody._ He thought cynically. He hastily said his goodbyes and hung up.

He got what he came for – a solid lead. With the help from one of SHIELD's tech agents, they found bits and pieces of the dead Buffy's life that could help his investigation. The photo they uncovered did resemble the woman Riley met at the gym, although there were slight differences. He still haven't found an answer on why she managed to wipe the floor with his backside.

 _Who is this woman?_

Determined to find out who this Buffy really was, Riley turned to surveillance cameras to trace her whereabouts. After scanning through hours of videos using facial recognition software, Riley found a recent footage of her dining with somebody at a restaurant right across from Stark Tower. The man she was with looked vaguely familiar. Too bad the cameras failed to capture his face.

Moving backwards to trace Buffy's steps, he finally scored a hit and found that she was in Brooklyn. The surveillance tapes showed that she went inside an electronics store, then to a place called Winsington Hotel. This time, Riley decided for a more hands-on approach.

Nobody at the store recognized Buffy when Riley showed them her picture, but the hotel receptionist admitted that Buffy did stay there for a few days, but had just recently checked out. She paid in cash. Cash meant no paper trail.

A quick call from the tech agent, Zachary, helping him granted him another clue. Prior to the hotel, the tapes revealed she came from a nondescript clinic, just a few blocks from Winsington.

Riley quickly made his way towards the clinic. Luckily, he was able to talk to a resident doctor, a Dr. Peter Carter. He confirmed that Buffy came through their doors a few weeks ago and that he himself was the one who treated her. After heavy persuasion and veiled threats, Dr. Carter finally agreed to show Riley her patient record. Unfortunately, it proved of little help. It just had the basic information that they already have about this woman. Although it was helpful to know that she was treated for a couple of broken ribs, a broken arm and minor cuts and bruises. Looked like she was in a hell of a fight.

 _Wonder how the other guy looked like._

Zachary informed him that further backtracking showed Buffy emerged from an alley before she entered the clinic. Walked with a limp and obviously wounded.

Which is why he's been standing in this alley for the past half hour, silently observing the floors and walls for clues. Limping and wounded might mean blood evidence. He needed another lead, surveillance footage finally came up empty after this point.

"Are you sure I'm in the right alley?" Riley demanded.

"Definitely sure, sir." Zachary's voice squawked from the receiver.

Riley ran a hand through his hair in frustration, "I don't see anything that could help us find... oh, hello." He started to walk forward with cautious steps.

"Sir? What happened? Did you see something?"

There were no blood. No evidence of fighting or scuffle of any kind. What caught his eye as he walked into the small street was more significant than anything he could every find.

He slowly knelt down on one knee, staring at the strange charred rune-like markings on the ground. Markings reminiscent of a certain Asgardian's transport of choice.

He once heard Agent Coulson mentioned the Bifrost burned the ground it touched.

"Zachary? Get me Director Fury. Right now." Riley gingerly touched the burn marks. He shook his head, grinned in amusement. "I was right. That girl was definitely peculiar."

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 _A/N: See what I did there? A slight nod to Joey's Europe story. Yep, I'm a FRIENDS fan.  
_ _I promise, next chapter will have a bit more action._


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